Saves The Day - Sound The Alarm

Assuming you read the massive oral history of Saves The Day in these pages last month, you already know all about the long and winding road the New Jersey band have taken to end up with Sound The Alarm, their fifth proper album. And after a few listens, it’s forehead-smackingly obvious that this record marks the death of the STD of old and the birth of something that knows how to dance (“Dying Day”), how to rock (“Bones”), how to subdue itself (“Don’t Know Why”) and how to get really, really ugly (“The End”). Frontman Chris Conley seems to take pride in wearing his heart not just on his lyrical sleeve, but on any organ you’d care to eviscerate: Soul-bearing (and sometimes soul-shattering) lyrics like “I can’t stand my own face anymore... please don’t forget about me” (from “Shattered”) are almost uncomfortable to sit through, especially with Conley’s panicked vocal delivery. In simplest terms, this is emotional catharsis put to pop music. And it sounds fucking great.

ROCKS LIKE: Saves The Day’s Stay What You Are, Saves The Day’s Through Being Cool, Saves The Day’s Can’t Slow Down